Television industry lacks passion today: Sushmita Mukherjee

Chandigarh, April 10 (IANS) Remembered as the hot assistant Kitty who accompanied detective Karamchand to the crime scene in hit TV show "Karamchand", actress Sushmita Mukherjee feels the overall passion for work on the small screen has been lost.

"I feel that the heart of the industry has changed. In our times there was less work, quality work, there was passion, which was not driven by money or TRPs," Sushmita told IANS.

"Today everything is driven by money. Earlier a producer or director could never think of saying that audiences are not liking it, we should change the track but it is happening today," she said.

"They are even compromising with the content because there is lot of money involved," added Mukherjee, who was here to promote Zee TV's new show "Chhoti Si Zindagi", in which she features.

Sushmita started her career with Doordarshan's detective show "Karamchand" as Pankaj Kapur's assistant Kitty and over a period of 27 years she has shows like "Tara", "Kahin Kissi Roz", "Kulvaddhu" and "Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo" to her credit.

In most of the shows Sushmita has been seen playing negative roles. However, the actress has decided that she would not be doing shrewd roles anymore.

"It's not that I am fascinated with negative roles. It is something like what you are offered at the right time and the right place," said Sushmita, who will be seen in yet another such role in "Chhoti Si Zindagi".

"I hope I get comedy and some emotional roles after this. After this I am not doing any negative roles for a long time," she added.

The actress has also been part of films like "Rudaali", "Sir", "Golmaal", "Aaja Nachle" and "Dostana".

Sushmita also has her own production house Prayas Productions and produced shows like "Mujhe Chaand Chahiye" that was telecast on Zee TV in 1998.

After that Ekta Kapoor struck the small screen and gave the glamour that people were paying to see in films through television. Sushmita admits she took a backseat as it was hard to match up with what Ekta was offering.

"She gave people a fantasy land and changed the way television operated, making it impossible for smaller production houses like ours to churn out programmes with heavy sets," the actress said.

"You can't make a serial in three-four lakh rupees today. There is lot of money involved in it," she said.

Although Sushmita has certain projects in the pipeline as a producer, but she is not yet ready to venture into the small screen anytime soon.

"The scenario is little market-driven right now. It's a very big game now and not a three or four lakh thing anymore. You have to be business-minded for that," she said.

Meanwhile, Sushmita is awaiting for the release of films like Deepa Sahi's "Tere Mere Phere Main" which is a comedy and Raja Bundela's "Son of Flower".